Learning to Dance Again Read Online Free Page B

in fact he seemed barely able to look her in the face.
    Liam followed Julia into the kitchen. He still hadn’t spoken, although the silence had been broken by the crackle of the radio he wore on his jacket. He fiddled with it instantly, turning it off as he took a seat at the kitchen table. Julia picked up the kettle to fill it while she waited for him to speak. The poor boy had clearly had a bad day and she had to fight the maternal urge to give him a hug.
    ‘Duncan wil l be home soon,’ she said, as she switched the kettle on, ‘it was his first day back at work today.’
    Liam leapt up as if he had been scalded. Julia hurried over and touched his arm.
    ‘What’s wrong Liam? Has something happened at work?’
    ‘Oh God! I don’t know how to say this. I came to find you, because you weren’t answering your phone. Duncan has…Duncan… he collapsed at school. They called an ambulance and rushed him to hospital. But…’
    Julia shrank away from him, covering her ears with her hands and stared down at the floor, trying to block out what she knew he would say next. She slumped against the kitchen unit and slid down until she was crouched on the floor.
    ‘I’m sorry. They think he had a heart attack. They tried to resuscitate him but…’
    Liam sat down heavily on the chair. He looked at Julia and then looked away again. He caught sight of a family portrait on the wall, taken before Duncan was ill, and before Jamie and Bryden had gone off to University. He stared at the face of his best friend, who would also need to be told soon. Liam was aware many people had witnessed Duncan’s collapse, so the news would spread quickly around the community. He had volunteered to go and find Julia as he didn’t want a stranger to be the one to tell her; except he hadn’t counted on how hard it would be to tell her himself. Nothing he had learned at the police training college in Inverness had prepared him for this situation.
    ‘Julia? Shall I drive you to the hospital?’
    Julia looked up but did not reply. She looked as if someone had just slapped her.
    ‘We need to tell Jamie and Bryden soon; before they find out from someone else.’
    Julia nodded, but did not move.
    ‘Do you want me to call them?’
    She shook her head.
    Liam walked over to her. He bent down and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her to stand up.
    ‘Can I get you a drink? Water? Tea?’
    ‘No, it’s OK,’ she whispered.
    He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders.
    ‘I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it myself yet.’
    ‘Can you take me to him?’
    ‘Of course I can. Do you want to do that now, or call Jamie and Bryden first?’
    ‘I’d better call them.’
    Julia picked up her mobile phone from the kitchen worktop and stared at it blankly.
    ‘So, he’s really dead? You’re sure.’
    ‘Yes, I’m so sorry. I was at the hospital, dealing with a drunk and I saw him come in with the paramedics.’
    Julia scrolled through the numbers on her phone until she found Jamie’s mobile. She pressed dial, but as soon as it started ringing she realised she couldn’t speak. She handed the phone to Liam, shaking her head in frustration.
    Julia paced up and down the kitchen, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, trying to contain the grief. She listened as Liam spoke to Jamie, desperate to speak to him herself, but unable to voice the words she needed to say. Her throat had constricted so much she could barely breathe.
    ‘No, it’s Liam. You r mum asked me to call you. I have some bad news…Your dad suffered a heart attack at school today…I’m sorry mate…They couldn’t bring him back… He died about an hour ago…No he doesn’t know yet… I’ll pick you up from the airport.  Yeah, I’ll make sure she’s OK.’
    L iam handed the phone back to Julia.
    ‘Jamie’s going to ring Bryden right now and then sort out flights to come home. It’s probably too late to get back tonight, but hopefully tomorrow